


A Reluctant Journey

by KammieCeleek



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Another New Prophecy rewrite, F/F, F/M, Fantasy References, Gen, M/M, Major changes from canon, Road Trips, one-sided romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:15:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26547361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KammieCeleek/pseuds/KammieCeleek
Summary: StarClan has a new prophecy for the Clans, and this one is urgent.  Six people are sent on a journey that none of them expected.  They don't know where they're going but it's going to be one hell of a ride.
Relationships: Brambleclaw & Crowfeather & Feathertail & Squirrelflight & Stormfur & Tawnypelt (Warriors), Brambleclaw/Squirrelflight (Warriors), Firestar/Sandstorm (Warriors)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a story I have wanted to do for a while.
> 
> Unfortunately, since this is going to be heavily based on the books, I needed to have access to said books. Until recently that was not possible but I thank God for my Kindle. I own the entire New Prophecy and I can do it. There will be a number of differences but I will be calling back to the book in order to get things like prophecies correct.
> 
> An important distinction to make is that much of the story up until the journey begins will be the same. The journey itself is what I intend to have the most differences between this story and the source material.
> 
> Here we go!

As the warm summer sun beat down overhead, Brambleclaw was content.

He could smell the fresh air and hear the wind blowing through the leaves of the trees. A deer was just ahead of him, plump and perfect to bring back to camp as a meal. Quietly he drew his spear and aimed. It struck the beast right in the heart and killed it instantly. He smirked as he went to field dress it.

"Good catch," a voice said behind him. He whipped around to see a woman with blue-gray hair and blue eyes. Starlight shone around her and he knew her in an instant.

"Bluestar," he whispered, bowing in respect to his old leader.

"Stand up straight, Brambleclaw. I'm afraid this isn't a social visit."

_Visits from StarClan seldom are._

"I have a message for you. It's urgent."

"I'm listening, Bluestar."

"A time of trouble is coming for the Clans. A new prophecy must be fulfilled if we are to survive. You have been chosen to meet with three others at the new moon, and you must listen to what midnight tells you."

"What do you mean? What kind of trouble? And how can midnight tell us anything?"

"All will be made clear to you."

His dream was fading and suddenly he was falling through a dark abyss. Then something poked him in the side and he was in his bed back in the warriors' quarters. The one doing the poking had been Graystripe, the Clan deputy, who stood over him with one hand raised to prod him again. He let out a sigh of relief.

"What was all that noise about? You'll scare off all the prey from here to Fourtrees!"

"Sorry. I was just dreaming." The younger warrior got up from the bed and heard a snort from nearby.

"Dreaming?" It was Cloudtail, the white-haired warrior who also happened to be Firestar's nephew. He hauled himself out of his own bed and stood with his arms crossed. "Honestly, you're as bad as Firestar. When he slept in here he was always muttering and twitching in his sleep. Couldn't get a good night of sleep for the life of me."

Brambleclaw felt a twinge of panic at hearing Cloudtail speak of Firestar in such a way, but then he reminded himself that this was their leader's nephew. He had trained as an apprentice under Firestar's guidance just as Brambleclaw had and he was known for his sharp tongue and willingness to fight on behalf of ThunderClan. Anyone who accused him of being disloyal due to his birth outside the Clan was soon met with a swift verbal jab and perhaps a punch to the jaw if it was truly offensive.

Cloudtail slipped out of the den, giving Brambleclaw a friendly jab to the shoulder as he passed.

"Come on, you lot," Graystripe sighed, running a hand through his thick gray hair. "It's time you were moving." He shook Ashfur awake. "Hunting patrols will be going out. Talk to Brackenfur to get your assignment."

"Right." Brambleclaw nodded and headed outside, the memory of Bluestar's warning flickering through his head. Was there really a new prophecy from StarClan? And why had they chosen him and not Firestar or Cinderpelt, their healer? They had a much closer bond with their warrior ancestors than an ordinary warrior like him. He must have eaten something bad the night before, that was all. He shook his head as he entered the clearing.

The sun barely shone over the walls of the camp, made of wood and stone to keep out invaders. Already the day was warm and sunlight filled the clearing like honey in a beehive. Sorrelpaw, the eldest apprentice, was finishing up her morning meal. He took note that the food stores were low; he'd make sure to bring back enough for the Clan on whatever hunting patrol he was assigned to. Before he could join Cloudtail, Sorrelpaw bounded across the clearing towards him with excited eyes.

"It's today!" she told him excitedly.

"What is?"

"My warrior ceremony!" She hurled himself on him and they began to wrestle, just like when they were kids together in the nursery. She managed to kick him in the belly and he was glad she apparently hadn't put on her boots yet that morning. There was no doubt in his mind that any outside force would be terrified of a warrior like her that everyone would respect.

"All right, that's enough." He gently whacked her on the back of the head. "If you're going to be a warrior, you have to stop behaving like a child."

"A child?" She sprung to her feet and he followed suit. She was covered in dust, her hair tangled and messy. "Me? Never! I've waited a long time for this, Brambleclaw!"

"I know. You deserve it."

Back in spring, Sorrelpaw had been chasing a deer and wandered too close to a bear. It had struck her in the shoulder in an effort to protect its cubs and she'd been out of commission for three moons while she healed within the infirmary under their healer's gentle care. In the meantime her two brothers, Rainpaw and Sootpaw, had been made warriors named Rainwhisker and Sootfur. Sorrelpaw had been determined to follow them as soon as she was fit enough to begin training again. He'd seen how hard she'd been working with her mentor, Sandstorm. She'd never shown any bitterness at the longer training she'd had to go through. And she really deserved her warrior ceremony.

"I've just taken Ferncloud a meal. Her babies are beautiful. Have you seen them yet?"

"Not yet." Ferncloud had given birth the day before to her newest children, two sons and a daughter.

"Go now. You have enough time before a hunt. I have to go make sure my hair's in order." She ran across the clearing again, all of her energy needing to go somewhere.

Brambleclaw headed for the nursery, which was well concealed near the middle of camp. It was designed to look like an ordinary bush, covered in thorns and leaves but protected the precious lives inside. He went through the entrance, the thorns scraping his broad shoulders and making him wince. Inside it was warm and quiet. Ferncloud laid on her side, staring at the wide cradle that was next to her bed. Her green eyes were glowing with happiness as she kept her eyes on the three tiny babies that were sleeping inside. One had a dusting of pale gray, promising hair like her mother's, and the other two had brown like their father Dustpelt. Speaking of Dustpelt, he sat on the bed next to Ferncloud, holding her hand and giving her an affectionate squeeze.

"Hi, there, Brambleclaw," the older warrior greeted him. "Come to see the new warriors?" His typically prickly air had been replaced by one of pride.

"They're beautiful. Have you chosen names yet?" Ferncloud shook her head sleepily.

"Not yet."

"There's enough time for that," Goldenflower chuckled. She was the oldest queen in ThunderClan and also happened to be Brambleclaw's mother. No longer did she have children of her own but she'd decided to stay in the nursery to help any new mothers with theirs. It wouldn't be long before she went to join the elders, she being the first to admit her eyesight and hearing were going and she wouldn't be able to keep up with the hunting patrols. "They're strong and healthy. That's what matters. And Ferncloud has plenty of milk.

Brambleclaw smiled. "She's lucky to have you for help."

"Well, I didn't do too bad a job with you, did I?"

"Hey, Brambleclaw, could you do me a favor?" Dustpelt asked as the younger warrior turned to leave.

"Sure, if I can."

"Could you keep an eye on Squirrelpaw? I want to spend a day or two with Ferncloud and the babies. She shouldn't be left without a mentor for too long."

 _Squirrelpaw!_ Brambleclaw wanted to bang his head against a wall. She was Firestar's daughter, young, newly apprenticed… and the biggest nuisance in the Clan.

"It'll be good practice for when you have an apprentice of your own. Trust me. If you can handle her, you can handle anyone they give you."

"I know. I hope Firestar will give me an apprentice soon."

_But I also hope my apprentice isn't some smart-aleck ginger who thinks she knows everything!_

"Good luck."

"I'll do my best. She doesn't take kindly to orders."

"I know."

He emerged from the nursery and found more warriors had entered the clearing. Brightheart, a pretty woman with ginger hair, was taking her own portion from what was left in the food store and going to join her husband Cloudtail. As she turned, Brambleclaw caught sight of the side of her face that was seamed with scars. Where her eye should have been there was only a gouge mark. She'd been attacked by a vicious pack of wild dogs that had been roaming the forest when he was newly apprenticed and even though she survived the attack, the Clan had feared she'd never be a warrior. It was Cloudtail who had yelled for them all to shut up and worked with Brightheart to adapt to her half-blindness, turning it into a strength. She could fight and hunt as well as the best of them.

"There you are, Brambleclaw!"

He turned to see a tall man with golden-brown hair coming towards him. "Hi, Brackenfur. Graystripe said you were giving out assignments today?"

"That's right. You're with Squirrelpaw. Just the two of you."

Brambleclaw turned towards the apprentices' quarters to see Squirrelpaw standing outside, her bright green eyes following a butterfly before she saw Brackenfur beckoning to her. She strolled straight across the clearing. In the sunlight her dark ginger hair had a certain shine to it.

"Hunting patrol," Brackenfur told her. "Dustpelt is busy so you're with Brambleclaw. Find another person to go with you two."

With that, he left and Brambleclaw was facing his leader's daughter. She yawned and stretched.

"Where shall we go?" she asked.

"I was thinking Sunningrocks—"

"On a day like today?" Her eyes were wide in disbelief. "Are you stupid? On a day like this, all the prey will either be hiding or in their dens. We won't catch so much as a hair."

"It's still early. The prey will be out for a while yet."

"Honestly, you always think you know better than anyone else."

"Well, I _am_ a warrior." As soon as the words left his mouth he knew it had been the wrong thing to say. Squirrelpaw bowed mockingly.

"Yes, O Great One. I shall obey your every command. And when we come back empty-handed you'll know I was right."

"If you're so clever, where do _you_ think we should hunt?"

"Deeper in the forest, close to Fourtrees. It's cooler there and there's a stream deer like to drink from."

Inwardly Brambleclaw slapped his forehead in frustration and annoyance. She was right; on a day like this a cool stream would provide plenty of water and cover. He wondered how he could change his mind without losing face when a voice interrupted them.

"Squirrelpaw, stop riling Brambleclaw up. You're chattering like a jackdaw." It was Sandstorm, Squirrelpaw's mother. She'd apparently heard Brambleclaw's conversation and come over to join them. Her eyes then turned to Brambleclaw. "And you're just as bad. The two of you are always squabbling. You can't be trusted to hunt together if you can't even get out of the clearing without scaring all the prey from here to Fourtrees."

"Sorry." Embarrassment flooded him and he felt his ears burning.

"You're a warrior. You should know better. Go and ask Cloudtail if you can join his hunting party. And as for you," she said to her daughter, "you can come and hunt with me. Brackenfur won't mind. And you'll do as you're told or I'll know the reason why."

Squirrelpaw followed her mother, Sorrelpaw joining her and trying to cheer her up. The younger apprentice shot Brambleclaw one last glare, sticking out her tongue childishly. He fought the urge to return the action. Squirrelpaw would learn more from her mother than he would from him, so he wasn't letting Dustpelt down. And he wouldn't have to listen to her all morning.

He shook his head and headed over to where Cloudtail and Brightheart were finishing their meal. Their daughter Whitepaw had jogged over to join them. As Brambleclaw came up he heard her say, "Are you going hunting? _Please_ can I come with you?"

"No," Cloudtail replied, placing a hand on his daughter's head. "Brackenfur said he'd take you. He's your mentor, after all."

"He's really proud of you," Brightheart added.

"Great! I'll go find him!"

She ran off and Brambleclaw cleared his throat.

"Would you mind if I joined you?" he inquired.

"Sure, you can come." Cloudtail stood up and nodded to Brightheart.

As they left, Brambleclaw cast one last look at the camp. Everyone was healthy and happy and safe. Bluestar's warning echoed in his mind. Was some big trouble really coming to the forest? Where would it come from? He felt his skin pricking with fear. Nobody needed to know about the dream. That was the only way it would mean nothing and there was no new prophecy to disrupt their lives.

* * *

"Why were you picking a fight with Brambleclaw?"

Squirrelpaw sighed at Sorrelpaw's question. It was a fair one to be sure, but she hated it when people asked her things like that.

"Because he's a moron. He wanted to hunt at Sunningrocks."

"Dustpelt specifically asked him to fill in while he's spending time with Ferncloud."

Well crud. Now she felt bad.

"If he wanted to fill in as my mentor he should've thought harder about where we were going to hunt. Sunningrocks is where we hunt in fall and spring, not the hottest days of summer."

Sorrelpaw rolled her eyes and Squirrelpaw kept her eyes on the ground ahead, occasionally scanning for prey. _There_. A deer. She readied her spear and took a deep breath before throwing it. The spear made contact, wounding the deer. Squirrelpaw dashed out and leapt upon it before it could run away, driving her knife into its heart. The deer fell to the ground dead and Sorrelpaw came out with a big smile.

"That was amazing!"

"Thanks. Not as impressive as some of the kills I've seen my mother make, though."

"Sandstorm's the best hunter we have. Nobody can keep up with her when it comes to impressive kills."

After a couple more kills the three headed back towards camp. Brambleclaw had returned as well and was sitting by the warriors' quarters by himself. Her eyes went towards the infirmary where her sister Leafpaw was emerging with her mentor Cinderpelt. Squirrelpaw rushed over and nearly tackled her sister in a hug.

It was often whispered among the Clan that it was hard to believe that Squirrelpaw and Leafpaw were sisters. Where Squirrelflight was stubborn, immature, and hot-headed with a sharp tongue, Leafpaw was gentle and kind and quiet without ever an insult to anyone. She had patience where Squirrelpaw had frustration. Squirrelpaw was fire and Leafpaw was water. Yet somehow they were closer than any other people in the Clan. Somehow they always knew what the other was feeling and thinking, like there was some unseen cord connecting them across any distance.

The rest of the Clan arrived and Firestar called them to a Clan meeting. He stood atop the wide flat rock that served as his platform for speaking. Sorrelpaw stepped forwards with Sandstorm, the former staring up at her leader nervously.

"Sandstorm," Firestar began, smiling at his wife, "are you satisfied that this apprentice is ready to become a warrior of ThunderClan?"

"She will be a warrior the Clan can be proud of," the blonde-haired woman replied, crossing her arms assuredly.

"I, Firestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice." His voice rang out clear across the clearing. "She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn." His gaze locked with that of Sorrelpaw. "Sorrelpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Sorrelpaw shook with anticipation. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Sorrelpaw, from this moment you will be known as Sorreltail. StarClan honors your courage and your patience, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Firestar came down from the rock to shake Sorreltail's hand and she bowed her head in respect.

The clearing erupted in cheers as the Clan chanted her new name. Out of all of them, Sootfur and Rainwhisker were the first and loudest. Their eyes gleamed with pride as they grabbed her into a hug. She let out an _oof_! at the sudden movement but laughed. When the noise had died down Firestar spoke again.

"Sorreltail, according to tradition you must keep vigil in silence tonight, and watch over the camp."

"While the rest of us get a good night's sleep," Cloudtail added. Squirrelpaw stuck out her tongue at her cousin, who stuck out his in response. Firestar laughed and Sorreltail took up her position by the fire in the center of the clearing.

* * *

For a moment, Brambleclaw was content.

However, the words of Bluestar's prophecy echoed in his ears. Despite the calm, despite the quiet, despite everything being fine, he knew it could change in an instance. Ignoring it would mean that the Clan would be in danger. He _had_ to meet with the others at the new moon to hear what midnight had to say. It was important for the survival of the Clan.

As he laid down on his bed in the warriors' quarters, he listened to the gentle breathing of his Clanmates. He wondered how long it would be before he'd be able to sleep that easily. It would take a long time with this prophecy hanging over his head. Was this how Firestar had felt as a warrior, knowing things that no ordinary warrior should know? He'd been Firestar's apprentice in the earliest days of his leadership and he'd seen the effect prophecies had on their leader. Firestar had spent more than one night outside of camp in pursuit of answers to mysterious dreams from StarClan. Why couldn't Brambleclaw do the same?

_I'll do it. I'll meet the others at the new moon._

He closed his eyes and sleep finally came.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try my best to update this but I make no promises.
> 
> I thought you all might enjoy a human AU fic. I have a few ideas for the journey (like I said it will have the most changes) but this isn't my first time writing a human AU with the New Prophecy. The difference is that this isn't a modern AU.
> 
> Comment to inspire me to write more!
> 
> So long and thanks for all the fish!


	2. The Farm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rather than prattle on following a plot that by all accounts you should know, I'm going to hit the switch I usually do when I write and speed things up. We all know who the chosen cats are, we all know about fire and tiger, we all know about everything. So I'm fast-tracking this chapter to get us to the journey, which is when the real fun will begin. After all, the journey has the most changes, and I have quite a few things in mind for what I want to do.
> 
> Let's do this, party people!

Squirrelpaw wanted to scream.

It had been days since Sorreltail's warrior ceremony, and things had gone from normal to wanting-to-pull-her-hair-out frustrating. She'd gotten in trouble for following a patrol, then at the new moon she followed Brambleclaw to Fourtrees where he'd met his sister and three people from other Clans. That wasn't the frustrating part. The frustrating part was that her father had become bound and determined to keep her and Brambleclaw apart. Hence why she was currently stuck in a particularly prickly bush, her thick hair snagged on the thorns while she was chasing down a meal for the elders.

_Good thing nobody else is here to—_

"I can see you're in a sticky situation, there."

_Dammit._

She managed to turn her head to see Brambleclaw. Without another word, he began to gently untangle her hair from the bush and free her hands. Once free, she let out a sigh of relief and smiled at him.

"Thanks," she told her Clanmate.

"No problem. You might want to tie your hair up."

"I hardly have time to nowadays." She began to twirl it back and found a piece of twine in her pocket she could tie it back with. "So, what are you—"

"Squirrelpaw!"

Her father's voice cut through the air, making her jump back a little. She turned to see him looking furious as he glanced from her to her savior.

"Dad!" she groaned.

"Don't 'Dad' me, young lady. What are you doing out here?"

"Well, I _was_ hunting, then my hair got caught on a bush and—"

"And who told you to go hunt?"

"I wanted to get something for Dappletail!" she protested. "She loves rabbit, so I was going to catch one."

The green eyes that matched hers moved back over to Brambleclaw.

"Aren't you supposed to be on a patrol?" The dark-haired young man shifted, avoiding his leader's gaze.

"I was, but I heard Squirrelpaw struggling and came to help her out."

"Go back on patrol. And Squirrelpaw, I don't want to see you outside without permission from your mentor again."

She wanted to cry as Graystripe gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder before following Firestar. It wasn't _fair_. She'd hardly done anything wrong the past couple weeks and they were treating her like a traitor.

_Don't cry. Dammit, don't let anybody see you cry. You're not a child._

"…Squirrelpaw?"

"What?!" she snapped, whipping her head around to face Brambleclaw. He shuffled nervously.

"I'm leaving." She blinked. "Not forever, but to go to the ocean. Like Ravenpaw said. It's a real place and I need to head there."

Her heart swelled. If he was going, then she was, too. She knew about everything and she couldn't stay here, not with everything that was happening. Not with her father and others in the Clan restricting her every move and action. It wasn't a good choice to stay. Brambleclaw tried to protest, but to no avail.

They were setting out.

* * *

Leafpaw bit her lip as she rushed through the forest.

Slung over her arm was a spare herb-collecting bag she'd 'borrowed' from Cinderpelt. It was stitched with pockets that held different essentials—things for infection and fever. It would be useful wherever Squirrelpaw was going. She just hoped that she made it before her sister left. And to her luck, she came across her twin walking with Brambleclaw.

"Squirrelpaw!" she whispered. The redhead whipped around to face her.

"Leafpaw? What are you doing here?"

"Did you tell her?" Brambleclaw asked Squirrelpaw accusingly.

"No, she didn't," Leafpaw replied, digging into her bag. "I just knew is all. You'll need these."

She extended a hand with traveling herbs—things that would stave off hunger for a little while. Both Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw took them, seeming confused.

"I have everything in this bag labeled. You'll need it wherever you're going, since you might get hurt along the way…" Her voice trailed off and she shook her head. "Please be careful. I need my sister, and the Clan needs both of you."

"We will. Thank you," Brambleclaw sighed, taking the bag. "We'll be back."

Leafpaw watched as they disappeared into the trees and she took a deep breath.

_StarClan, watch over them both._

* * *

The first stop on their journey was a farm just outside of WindClan territory—a place that was owned by Barley and Ravenpaw. Crowpaw was glaring around with suspicion as they approached. Ravenpaw was outside, tending to the chickens. His golden eyes caught sight of the visitors.

"Well, aren't you all a sight for sore eyes?" he chuckled.

"Hello, Ravenpaw," Feathertail greeted him warmly, smiling.

"I must say, it's rare to see people from different Clans traveling together, especially this far out. What brings you out this way?"

"A mission from StarClan!" Squirrelpaw replied proudly.

"Can't argue with that. All of you, come inside."

The inside of the farmhouse was warm and spacious. Welcoming. Brambleclaw inhaled deeply. It smelled of spices and home-cooked meals, a scent that put him a little more at ease than before about what they were doing.

"Barley should be back in from the fields soon. In the meantime, I want you to rest. All of you."

"It's nice to finally meet you," Squirrelpaw told him. "Dad talks about you a lot."

"I bet he does. I've met you before, though."

"Really?" Squirrelpaw's eyes widened. "Where?"

"In camp when you were just a child. Barley and I stayed with ThunderClan for a little while and when we left to go back home, you woke the whole camp up because you wanted to come along."

Squirrelpaw's cheeks flamed bright pink and Crowpaw began snickering. Brambleclaw could remember that day—he'd been one of the ones chosen to go take back the farm and that was the day he realized how much of a pain in the ass Squirrelpaw would probably end up being.

"Well, at any rate, I told Sandstorm you would look just like Firestar when you got older and I was right. Only thing is that you got your mother's face instead of his."

"He's right, you know," Feathertail laughed, putting a hand on Squirrelpaw's shoulder. "Let's get some rest. It was a long walk to get here."

After a rest, they came downstairs to find Ravenpaw chopping vegetables while Barley put a dead bird inside the oven. Ravenpaw instructed Feathertail on how to cut the vegetables so he could go set the table. It didn't take long after that for dinner to be ready. Most of the food that was put out for them was things that Brambleclaw had only seen when he and the other ThunderClan warriors had helped take the farm back, and during the journey back from the Moonstone as an apprentice. Squirrelpaw and Crowpaw, on the other hand, had never seen dishes like these.

"StarClan," Ravenpaw began, clasping his hands together in prayer. The rest of the table followed suit. "Thank you for this bounty before us and for the prosperity you've brought our home. We are grateful for this meal and for every meal that you've allowed us to enjoy. And thank you for bringing us guests because food always tastes better with guests. May you watch over them on their journey. Amen."

With that, they were allowed to eat. Feathertail, who'd stopped by the barn on her way home from the Moonstone during her own apprenticeship, showed Squirrelpaw and Crowpaw how to use a fork and spoon.

"This is so weird," Squirrelpaw murmured.

"We've used weirder," Ravenpaw chuckled. "There are some cultures where they use a pair of small sticks to pick up their food."

"What?!" Her eyes were wide.

"Yes." He was smiling. "Food is something that can bring people together, no matter how you choose to prepare or eat it. That's why we have a feast whenever guests come over."

"Wow…"

The sparkle in her eyes was adorable. Brambleclaw had never seen her like this.

"So, you were a member of ThunderClan?" Crowpaw asked.

"When I was an apprentice, yes. I trained alongside Firestar and Graystripe."

"Why did you leave?"

"I…" He sighed. "I didn't have much of a choice. Tigerstar was a member of ThunderClan back then and he was… my mentor."

"Wait, what?!" Squirrelpaw squeaked.

"You've probably heard about how he killed Redtail."

"Yeah, Redtail was my grandfather."

"Well, I saw him do it. He knew I saw and he wanted me dead so I couldn't tell anyone. Luckily, I told the right people." His gaze flicked from Squirrelpaw to Stormfur and Feathertail. "I told your fathers. They're the ones who got me out of ThunderClan and told me to come here."

"And you saved us when we were apprentices," added Stormfur. "Back when RiverClan was part of TigerClan."

"Wow!" Squirrelpaw's eyes were wide again.

Brambleclaw was suddenly reminded that Crowpaw and Squirrelpaw had never met his father. They were too young to have seen the effect he had on the forest, too young to remember what BloodClan had done. But if the prophecy came to pass, they'd see horrors unlike those. Their own stories they'd pass on to future generations.

"You can spend the night," Barley told them as they finished eating. "We have a couple of spare rooms. Boys in one, girls in the other."

"Thank you," Tawnypelt told the kind farmer. "We appreciate your hospitality."

The following morning, each of the travelers was given a bag of supplies. None of them had anything upon coming there except for Squirrelpaw, who had the bag of herbs from Leafpaw. They waved goodbye to Ravenpaw and Barley as they headed for Highstones, knowing that there was no turning back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter this time (especially considering how long the update took) but the next one will be longer, I promise.
> 
> So long and thanks for all the fish!


End file.
